1. Field of the Invention
The present inventions relate to retail packaging and, more particularly, to retail packaging for demonstrating the motion of a packaged object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Packaging of products frequently plays an important role in the marketing of products in the retail environment. For certain classes of products, the packaging and presentation of the product and its operation can substantially affect the sales volume of that product.
A wide range of products are sold in retail outlets which are designed to launch projectiles. These products range from tools to sporting goods and toys. Prior packaging systems for products have permitted the demonstration of products while in the packaging. These packaging systems have typically allowed potential purchasers to visualize lights and motion, feel vibrations, and/or hear the sounds produced by the packaged product. These types of packaging systems have seen substantial commercial success.
Prior systems have however typically required that the components of the product remain secured or connected to one another by or within the packaging. The prior packaging systems have not permitted potential purchaser to actuate and view the launching of a projectile from the packaged product and to observe the motion of the projectile free of the launching device. A number of problems including defining internal spaces for the flight or movement of the projectile after it is launched and released from a launching apparatus, the resetting of the projectile in the launcher to facilitate the demonstration of action to a subsequent potential purchaser, assuring the launched projectile will not exit the packaging, among others, are faced by the manufactures and/or packagers of such products. Accordingly, needs exist for apparatus and methods for packaging products designed to launch projectiles which can permit their demonstration to potential retail purchasers.